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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Hardcover vs Paperback 64

"WHEN YOU GREW UP IN THE PROJECTS, THERE WERE NO CHOICES. NO GOOD ONES, AT LEAST."

In the Frederick Douglass Project where DeShawn lives, daily life is ruled by drugs and gang violence. Many teenagers drop out of school and join gangs, and every kid knows someone who died. Gunshots ring out on a regular basis.

DeShawn is smart enough to know he should stay in school and keep away from the gangs. But while his friends have drug money to buy fancy sneakers and big-screen TVs, DeShawn's family can barely afford food for the month. How can he stick to his principles when his family is hungry?

In this gritty novel about growing up in the inner city, award-winning author Todd Strasser opens a window into the life of a teenager struggling with right and wrong under the ever-present shadow of gangs.

I pick the hardcover based on the summary. It depicts growing up in the city (love the skyline cleverly placed in there) and drugs, it definitely says serious to me. The paperback looks like it's about BMX bikers or something, doesn't look very serious or gritty to me besides the hint it gives with the typeface.

Hardcover or paperback?

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Huh. I had to look back up twice to make sure you got it right, that the blocks was a city skyline. That is clever.

Personally,though, I like the feel of the paperback's cover. It seems to be more of a teenager story than the blocks. Though, the bullet by the blocks definitely says volumes about the title If I grow up.

whoa! These covers are so different! They have such different feels to them. I have to say, though, that I prefer the paperback. it makes me want to read the book, and I actually feel like it fits the summary more than the first one, which despite the bullet and skyline, I find for some reason slightly childish. The second one reminds me of me growing up and trying to stay away from all of the drugs that my friends were doing.

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